Silver Lining
by night.drive
Summary: Draco Malfoy is emerging on his own as an entrepreneur. Chaser Ginny Weasley is the star player of her Quidditch team. Both of them have lucrative careers that are on the line. So, naturally, they get engaged to save their shaky reputations. Will they learn to get along or will confused family members, irritating reporters, and close quarters get the best of them? CHAPTER 5 POSTED.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note + Disclaimer:** This will be a sweeping disclaimer for all chapters. I don't own any of these characters, places, etc., they belong to J.K. Rowling and whoever else has ownership of them. I write for fun, so please do not sue. Any notable references will be credited at the bottom of each chapter.

 ** _March 21, 2016:_** I've always wanted to do one of those "marriage contract" fics, so here's my take on it. I really hope you enjoy this story, I've had a lot of fun imagining it!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

"Mrs. Passano is here for your 2:00 meeting, Mr. Malfoy," a female voice cracked through the gramophone that served as the intercom.

Draco Malfoy sighed, setting down his quill in defeat. Tapping his wand to the horn, he replied tiredly, "fine, send her in."

He adjusted his tie and the jacket of his charcoal suit. Draco quickly ran a hand through his hair to tidy it up. Just as he had gotten rid of most of the miscellaneous documents on his desk, he turned to see Mrs. Hawthorne, his secretary, letting a thin woman into his office.

Melinda Passano was a tall, thin woman, to the point where he could practically see the hollows of her cheeks against her tan, almost leathery skin. Her light brown hair was firmly pulled back into a sleek bun. Large, alert green eyes stared back at him through round spectacles. She had on a burgundy skirt suit with sensible black high heels. Trotting up to his desk, she offered her right hand, while the other carried her dragon hide briefcase with gold buckles.

Draco stood up, unconsciously buttoning his suit jacket, briskly shaking her hand in his. She gave him a curt smile and sat down. He suppressed a sigh. He sensed that this would a long meeting and had to have his wits about him in order to get through it.

"Good day, Mr. Malfoy," said Melinda as she opened her briefcase to retrieve documents.

"And to you too, Mrs. Passano," Draco returned.

"Now that the formalities are over with, I hope we would get right to business," Melinda began. Draco stayed silent, slightly stunned by the forwardness of the woman's approach. She had given him a no-nonsense vibe, but most people at least play the game of making small talk before getting onto business. He hoped that this meeting would be done since they skipped it, so he let her continue on without interjecting.

"Since you have hired me as your new Public Relations representative, I took the liberty of going through all of your press releases since you began at the Malfoy Company as well as any personal press clippings," Melinda explained, sliding two pieces of parchment in front of Draco.

Draco picked up the paper and saw a chart on each piece of parchment. One parchment showed that the reputation of the company had skyrocketed since he had taken over as the Deputy Head of the Board and as the Head of Sports and Entertainment. Switching to the next sheet, he saw that his own personal reputation would either take a dip or otherwise stay stagnant well below the necessary approval rating. He snarled in frustration. None of this information was new, so what was the point of bringing this up?

"Mrs. Passano, I believe I hired you to rectify this very situation, so what was the point to show me this?" Draco asked as politely as he could, though it came behind gritted teeth.

"If you look closely," Melinda replied unperturbed by his frustration, leaning closer with her wand. She tapped the second parchment and it zoomed in to one of the dips. "Each time you have some type of personal… affair… to put it nicely, your reputation takes a turn for the worse. It mainly has to do with the reputation of the types of women you have been seen with."

Draco snorted. "For Salazar's sake, it's not like I'm gallivanting about with prostitutes."

"True," snipped Melinda, frowning at his vulgarity. "But many of these women are models, singers, or socialites. The public does not take kindly to these stories, regardless of their personalities."

"So what do you suggest?" Draco demanded, crumpling up the pieces of parchment into little balls in his fist before aiming them into the rubbish bin. One ball made it in, while the other hit the rim, only to fall to the side dejectedly.

"To get into a relationship," Melinda answered simply.

Draco eyes narrowed. "Isn't that the very reason why I'm sitting here with a shitty reputation?"

"I mean a committed relationship," she elaborated, turning her pointy nose up at his cursing. She stood up and started pacing.

"Of course, it would be a relationship on paper. We find you a well-liked female with a great background and spring it on the media that you two are engaged to wed. This is usually a fool-proof method of turning around the perpetual bachelor's reputation around. Now, the matter is simply finding the right woman…" she explained. She began to tap her chin as she paced back and forth, trying to come up with the perfect match.

"This will be a contracted arrangement, right?" Draco said with a raised eyebrow, grasping for the nearest magazine on his table. It sounded like a sound idea so long as he didn't actually have to go through it. Since his last long-term relationship, he had no desire to get married again. Melinda Passano had the reputation in Wizarding Britain for repairing reputations and building personalities, while she seemed surly, he trusted that this attitude is what made her the top expert in her field.

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy," she answered with the haziest ghost of a smile. "Now, I've come up with a small list of single women that may be presentable depending on their connections and background. Wizarding Britain is small, so the pool is not that large. I've noticed from your past, you tend to date Englishwomen and those that are either pure or half-blood. I trust you intend to keep it that way?" She returned to her briefcase to extract another document.

"Yes," Draco replied curtly. He if she was going to through the rundown, he might as well entertain himself with one of the gossip rags Mrs. Hawthorne would paw through on her lunch break while he was at it.

"How about Susan Bones?" she suggested.

"No Hufflepuffs," Draco scowled, flipping a page.

"Alright," Melinda said through pursed lips. "How about… Millicent Bulstrode?"

Of course it was at that moment Draco had chosen to take a sip of water. "Excuse me?" Draco sputtered, once he had recovered from choking on the gulp of water he had taken in. Was the woman absolutely mad? He was beginning to have his doubts about her expertise at this point.

"Well, I figured you wanted a Slytherin since you're so picky!" Melinda snapped hotly.

"So long as they're not a Hufflepuff, I don't give a flying fig," Draco snapped. "Just pick someone that makes sense."

She continued to go through the list, describing each woman's attributes, both mental and physical, their background and history, in addition to their connections. Draco grew more and more bored after each name until he came across an article in the magazine he had been going through. He pulled his feet that had been propped on top of his desk down and sat up straight in his leather chair. There across the page was Ginny Weasley, the Walking Disaster. The picture showed Ginny being hauled out of a pub after one of her latest pub brawls. She looked disgruntled, angry, and frustrated. Her brown eyes were exploding with anger while her now famous scarlet tresses had been freed from what was once a ponytail. You could practically hear her yelling at the security troll that was hauling her off as she squirmed and kicked and thrashed against whoever tried to grab at her.

"And the next one is…."

"Ginny Weasley," Draco interrupted her for the first time in a long time.

"Excuse me?" Melinda stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him aghast. "You mean the Holyhead Harpies Chaser?"

"Yes," Draco said, folding the back of the magazine and throwing it towards the publicist on the desk.

She picked it up hesitantly and scanned the page. "You've got to be joking. She's a PR nightmare. Weasley's gaining a reputation for being unruly in the tabloids."

"Exactly," Draco sighed out of frustration. Did he have to spell it out for her? Wasn't this supposed to be her job?

"What better way to get someone to be on board with a sham engagement than if she needs the reputation boost herself? I'm sure the Harpies owners would be delighted to give her a media makeover," Draco proclaimed triumphantly.

"But, sir, she's by all accounts your sworn enemy," Melinda pointed out. "She may be pure-blooded, but she is not exactly the winning woman I had in mind for your image overhaul."

"What are you talking about? She's the Gryffindor poster child. She's a Weasley, a name that unfortunately is held in high regard in our society. She has some of the biggest connections today. She's an athlete and is still loved by the masses in spite of her ridiculous antics," Draco explained. "Merlin's bollocks, do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Apparently," Melinda frowned, crossing her arms.

"What better story than enemies reconciling? Especially ones that are considered to be on opposite sides? How could anyone view me negatively if I was seen with Ginny Weasley of all women?" Draco explained, getting up from his seat and coming around the desk.

"And on that note, why the hell haven't you thought of this brilliant idea?" Draco questioned, crossing his own arms.

"I-I-Um…" she stammered nervously.

"Look, she's the one. Go talk to the owners. Bribe them. Pay them off. Buy them brand new uniforms, broomsticks, whatever the hell they want. Just make sure you create an iron-clad contract. I don't want any surprises," Draco said, returning back to his seat. He took out a fresh piece of parchment from the center drawer of his desk and began scribbling across it in his elegant, neat script. Now that there was a plan in mind, he needed to start preparing.

"Yes," Mrs. Passano murmured.

"Oh, and Mrs. Passano?" Draco said, pausing to look up from his work. "You better be worth the galleons I'm paying for you. Or _I_ will be sure to ruin _your_ reputation is destroyed. Are we clear?"

"Yes," she squeaked. Apparently the woman could dish out the attitude but couldn't take it when it was given to her. She quickly gathered her parchments in a messy heap and shoved them into her briefcase without arranging or sorting them. She clamped the case shut, pieces of parchment sticking out in every which direction. She quickly disappeared with a shaky _pop!_

* * *

"Gin, the owners are looking for you," a woman called out to her from behind. Ginny turned to see Gwenog Jones, her former hero and now captain and teammate standing there. She stood taller than Ginny with her larger Beater build in comparison to Ginny's small Chaser build. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail as her dark green and gold Quidditch uniform robes swirled around offsetting her dark skin.

"The owners?" Ginny squeaked nervously. She had been called by the manager plenty of times to get reprimanded, but she had never had to talk to the actual owners. She could get away with greetings and small talk at formal Quidditch functions, but other than that she rarely interacted with them.

"Yep. And they're looking impatient," Gwenog noted grimly.

"Guess there's no point in changing," Ginny said with a sigh. She placed her broomstick in its carrying case and removed her protective gear. Once they were tucked away in her cubby in the locker room, she Apparated to the outside of the Holyhead Harpies' company office. With a deep breath, she knocked on the large wooden double doors.

The doors magically opened and she walked in, trying to hold her head up high. There stood the three owners looking at her with such intensity that Ginny couldn't help but involuntarily gulp. She suddenly felt like she was back at Hogwarts, and under the stern gazes of Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape.

"Good afternoon," said Horace Marchbanks. "Why don't you have a seat?"

He motioned for her to sit around the conference table. He was a short, portly man with gray hair that was beginning to fade from his crown, leaving a wispy halo of charcoal. As she sat down, she noticed that Frank Bell, the second owner of the team, a tall, churlish man had apparently decided to wear a toupee atop his own shiny head, though the bright ginger locks contrasted horribly with his natural dark hair. She bit her cheek from trying not to snigger at the absurd image. It probably wouldn't help her case if she was laughing at one of the owner's appearance.

"We've called you in Miss Weasley because of your latest antics," began Amy Wu. She was the newest co-owner of the team, having retired ten years ago from the Holyhead Harpies herself. Ginny remembered her as a fierce Chaser with highly unpredictable moves that always kept her opponents on their toes. Her straight jet-black hair fell past her shoulders and she looked at Ginny with serious dark, almond-shaped eyes.

"I can explain…" Ginny began, but Amy held her hand up to silence her. Ginny sat back, disgruntled at this action. She was not some naughty child in school! She was a fully grown adult who could do what she wanted. Besides, that oaf who decided to argue with her about their latest game had it coming to him!

"There's no need," Amy continued. "The managers have given you far too many passes. We're having this meeting because you need to change your reputation around."

"What reputation?" Ginny retorted defiantly, crossing her arms. "I'm Britain's Sweetheart."

"That may be," Frank said, leaning in, placing his interlocked hands on the table. "But even Britain's Sweetheart makes mistakes." With a wave of his wand, numerous newspaper and magazine clippings appeared on the table. Each one showed Ginny in some type of argument or fight in front of a pub or nightclub. One memorable occasion was at the grocery store. In the past several months, the media had taken to literally calling her the Walking Disaster, since she created catastrophes wherever she went. While she was still hailed as an excellent Chaser, the same couldn't be said off the field.

"Simply put, you need to get your act together," input Horace. "Your endorsements are threatening to let go of you and this just won't do."

"They can't do that!" Ginny cried, slamming her fists onto the table. "I signed bloody contracts with those wankers!"

"Well, clearly you didn't read them properly, Miss Weasley, because there were stipulations attached," Amy chided. "If you do anything to tarnish your image, they will let you go."

"Either you straighten up, or the deals will dry up," Frank explained simply, his pompous eyes glaring at her. "You have become the face of this team, and as such you must maintain a certain persona with the public."

"What do you expect me to do?" asked Ginny, her irritation becoming visible. Owners be damned! They couldn't control her life like this!

"Luckily for you, one of the top publicists in Wizarding Britain has offered you a proposal," Horace wheezed. "Based on her research, a relationship will be a sure fire way to change your reputation."

"Excuse me?!" Ginny squawked. Were they actually going to put her in one of those fake relationships celebrities were forced into? Was that actually a _thing_? "I'm pretty sure my talent can speak for itself," Ginny exclaimed, before muttering under her breath, "only a man would come up with a stupid plan as this."

"Actually, Ginny, I agree with this plan," Amy interjected calmly. _Et tu, brutus?_ "I was the face of the Harpies for a period of time. I know what it's like. A make-believe relationship will deter people from your current predicament and instead they'll be fixated on whatever rubbish the papers decide to come up with."

Frank pinched the bridge of her nose exasperatedly. His eyes flew open and he said, "Don't you get it, Weasley? Your reputation is _already_ tarnished. This is a fool-proof method of turning it around. It's either that or bye-bye endorsements. Your Quidditch career will only last for so long, but endorsements can go far beyond your career."

Ginny sighed, squeezing her eyes tight for a moment. She needed to think without their grim faces boring into her expectantly. On the one hand, she didn't want to be forced into some silly, fake relationship. On the other hand, this was purely business. She was sick of getting hounded by the paparazzi, many who exacerbated her situations, and only made her further look like a fool. Her hot head always won out in those incidents. Was this truly the cost of being able to enjoy a pint in peace? But, more importantly, she had those endorsement deals to think about. She had just signed a particularly lucrative international deal with a Quidditch uniform brand, one that would put a nice pile of gold in her Gringotts vault.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at them all solemnly. "Let's say I agree to this. Which, I'm not, at the moment. How will this work?"

Amy flashed her a tentative smile. "You and the individual in question will be engaged in contract for a period of six months. We'll then leak some story to the press saying that the engagement has been broken off. Quite simple."

"And who would agree to such a contract?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Someone that has their own assets to protect. This way, neither of you can touch each other's assets nor try to swindle anything out of one another," Frank explained.

She sat there in silence, mentally going through the list of available bachelors in Wizarding Britain. And ones that had money to protect. As she perused through the imaginary list, crossing names off, Ginny hadn't heard the door click open behind her. She looked up at the owners and asked curiously, "Just who is this mystery individual?"

"Ready to become Wizarding Britain's power couple, Weasley?" A deep, masculine voice asked from behind.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this story! I have most of it planned out, just need to keep writing! Apologies for any errors, I do my own proofreading! Please, please leave a review on the way out, I seriously appreciate them so much. They totally make my day and get me even more excited to continue the story! Thanks again (:


	2. Chapter 2

_May 1, 2016:_ Wow, I updated two stories in the same weekend! I'm trying to space these out since I'm a couple of chapters ahead in writing but I don't want to get so behind that I update like once every three months lol. Enjoy!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

Shivers ran down Ginny's spine, freezing her to her core. It took all of her self-restraint not to openly shudder from hearing his voice. Slowly, Ginny turned around to see Draco Malfoy, rival of… well, everyone. There he was in the pale flesh, standing taller and prouder than she was comfortable with. His formerly pointy features gave way to chiseled, aristocratic looks. Cool, grey eyes stared her down as his platinum blond hair was neatly parted to the side. Draco smirked at her, his hands shoved into the navy trousers of his three-piece suit.

"Hell. No." Ginny gritted out, teeth gnashing against each other in anger.

"Miss Weasley, at least hear us out," a serious looking woman spoke up standing behind Draco. She hadn't even noticed the woman with her leathery skin stretched roughly across her face and body. Judging by the roll of parchment in one hand and briefcase in the other, she must have been the mastermind behind this disastrous idea. Ginny immediately hated her.

"What is there to hear? This is completely ridiculous. It would never work!" Ginny huffed. "The newspapers would have a field day."

Draco scoffed. "It's not like you haven't had high profile relationships yourself." She knew what he was referring to. While her name would always be attached to Harry Potter in some shape or form, she had also been recently linked with Brazilian Keeper Raul Almeida. Oh, did the press ever love an international superstar couple. It had been chaos, Ginny remembered. It had also never been a serious relationship; she made a point not to get too invested.

"At least those were of my own volition!" Ginny snapped, glaring at him angrily.

"My, my, isn't that a big word for the littlest Weasley," Draco smirked.

"Unlike you, I can read you know!" Ginny cried, stomping her foot. Great, now she was stomping her foot and whinging like a child in front of her bosses and her adversary. This day was just getting better and better.

"Yes, because the CEO of a multiple-million galleon company can't read," he deadpanned.

"Unless they were just born into it."

It was here Draco's façade slipped slightly. His usual calm and collected demeanor faltered for a moment, as if Ginny had found the chink in his armor. As quickly as it flashed across his face, it disappeared as if it had never happened.

"I may have inherited it but I have helped rebuild it from its ashes and made it what it is today," Draco sniffed, busily adjusting his suit lapels and cuffs.

"See?" The leathery lizard of a woman spoke up. "You guys have that bickering old-couple image down pat. The press will eat it up and it'll be completely believable."

"Oh, stuff it cow," Ginny glared, crossing her arms across her chest. The reptilian woman gaped at her like a fish, unsure of how to answer her.

Draco turned to the woman, consulting with her for several moments. The woman grumbled but exited the room, the door clicking shut behind them. Malfoy turned back to the owners, who had been precariously watching the situation unfold in front of them with bated breath. Absent-mindedly buttoning his suit jacket, he asked, "May I have a word with Miss Weasley, alone? It should only take a few minutes."

Ginny was about to say that there was not a snowball's chance that she was about to be left alone in a room with a Malfoy when Amy cut in, "Of course, Mister Malfoy. We will be on the other side of the door."

She watched in astonishment as they all walked out without another word, without consulting her in any way. The double doors quietly clicked shut behind them. Malfoy reached into his jacket pocket and brandished his wand. Ginny quickly reached into her robe pocket and wrapped her fingers around her own wand, ready to wield it should the moment call for it. Instead, he pointed to the door and murmured, " _Muffliato_."

"What do you think you're playing at, muffling the door?" Ginny asked suspiciously. "You best not try anything funny."

Returning his wand to his pocket, Draco walked over to her until they were standing inches apart. "You needn't be so tetchy, Weasley."

Walking past her, he pulled out the nearest chair out for her. "Would you please have a seat? So I can explain why I am doing this. If you still disagree, then I will understand."

Ginny pondered over this situation for several moments. The ferret was trying to be cordial. Something was up, but she just couldn't figure out what. In the end, her curiosity had always gotten the best of her. Still keeping a protective hand around her wand, Ginny cautiously sat down. He pushed her chair in like a gentleman, and quickly took the seat directly across from her.

Just as Malfoy was about to open his mouth, Ginny had to get the first word in. "Why would you want to be in a fake relationship with me? I'm not a model."

That was true, even if she was a spokesperson for several different products. How many times had she seen Draco Malfoy on a tabloid with some gorgeous brunette or leggy blonde attached to his arm? They looked picture perfect and Ginny was well... not.

Draco gave her a look up and down, as if examining every part of her in one clean sweep. She felt a shiver go down her spine. Ginny willed herself to stay cool and collected as was the man in front of her. "Don't be so modest, Weasley. You wouldn't be the face of Nebula Quidditch Armour for nothing."

Ginny laughed. "Oh, I know I'm not a complete hag. But I mean it, quite literally. I am not a model. That seems to be your M.O."

Even so, she couldn't stop her cheeks from reddening. Those advertisements were a little more than she bargained for, as they had put her in less clothing than she would have liked as she modeled shin and arm guards. But was Draco Malfoy actually calling her attractive?

"So, now will you consider it?"

"You just said that to butter me up."

"Perhaps," Draco replied, though there was an actual twinkle in his usually stoic grey eyes. And then his usual smirk turned into a genuine smile. It was startling and disarming to say the least. His whole demeanor changed and brought out his boyish charm. When in the world did Draco Malfoy have boyish charm? Ginny could see why women flocked to him. However, she wasn't about to trip over her feet falling for him.

Defiantly, Ginny placed her hands on the conference table and stood up, enjoying that she had height over him for once. Pushing off, she folded her arms under her breasts. The redhead still couldn't understand what former Slytherin Draco Malfoy was playing at. Why was he so desperate to have a fake relationship, and with her of all people?

"There's not a chance in hell this is happening," Ginny said with a frown. "You must be utterly soulless to do this."

"Soulless?" he echoed, the light in his eyes dimming. Draco's calm, collected demeanor had vanished. "Would a soulless person be putting themselves in this position for the sake of their kid?"

"You're just worried about your reputation," she retorted, beginning to pace back and forth in the room.

"I assure you, any positive reputation has sailed off into the sunset long ago," Draco laughed hollowly. "I'm doing this for Aurora."

A word echoed in Ginny's head. _Kid._ She stopped mid-pace and froze. Surely there were other meanings to the word "kid".

"When you say kid… You mean like a goat, right?" Ginny asked hesitatingly.

"No, I mean kid, as in child," snapped Draco, losing all air of politeness. Ah, there was the Draco Malfoy she knew. But wait, a Draco Malfoy with a _child?!_

Ginny cracked up. This was too much to handle. She continued to laugh hysterically for several moments, using a chair to support her. She forced herself to calm down as her sides began to throb from the vibrations that shook her body. Reaching into the inside of his jacket pocket, he returned with his wallet and handed her a photograph. In her hysteria, she reached across the table and snatched it from his hand.

Though an uncontrollable giggle escaped, she was also mildly horrified. "YOU REPRODUCED?"

"Why are you so surprised? Plenty of women would want to get with this," Draco replied, indicating with his hand by gesturing up and down his person.

"Only desperate women," Ginny muttered half-heartedly, as her attention was focused on the little girl staring back at her. The young girl looked about Victoire Weasley's age, Bill's eldest daughter. She – Aurora – was peeking out from an iron wrought gate and slowly walked to the forefront. Aurora was a couple of shades darker than her father, with gorgeous raven hair and matching eyelashes that framed the imperial grey eyes staring back at her. Her nose was turned up in the air to the camera, combined with a winning combination of a scowl and smirk on her face. She practically looked like a porcelain doll.

Once Ginny teared her eyes away from the picture, she spoke, "there's no way this child is yours."

Draco caught the photograph that she threw back at him as it slid easily across the wooden table. Looking incredulous, he stood up, grabbed the picture, and walked around the table, standing next to her.

"Are you that daft, Weasley?" Draco sneered irritatingly. "Those coveted grey eyes. Mine. That aristocratic nose. Mine. And where do you think she learned that smirk from?"

She sighed. There was no way that wasn't Draco Malfoy's child. And a beautiful little girl, at that. She turned to look at him, though she had to look up at him. Damn his tallness.

"Thank Merlin she didn't get all of your genes," Ginny retorted. "She's much better looking than you."

"I will accept that as a back-handed compliment," Draco smirked, his eyes gleaming.

"That was not a compliment!"

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you implied that I produce attractive off-spring."

"She only has half of your DNA!" Ginny cried. She knew better than to not give an egotistical man any sort of compliment, no matter how miniscule or indirect it was. You give a man a centimeter and he takes a kilometer.

"And whose chromosome do you think determines whether it's a male or female?" Draco responded triumphantly.

Damnit! He wasn't as stupid as he was handsome, Ginny inwardly groaned. How could she retaliate to that? He was right, and he countered her own scientific approach to the argument. There was only one way to reply to him. "You're impossible!" Yes, insult when you've reached a stalemate, perfect.

"Not quite, but I'm pretty bloody amazing," Malfoy's lips quirked up.

"Who's the mother?" Ginny asked suddenly. After all, if he was doing this for the sake of the child, was he asking for some sort of surrogate caretaker for his daughter? She was on the road most of the year, she couldn't take care of a child! Moreover, she could barely take care of herself. After her pygmy puff rolled off the ledge of her bedroom at the Burrow, Ginny vowed to never have a pet to take care of again. "Or was it just a one-night stand?"

He rolled his eyes but then bore directly into hers. It made her uncomfortable when she was under such scrutiny. "Astoria Greengrass," Draco replied. "She was eighteen when Aurora was born; I was twenty. We were married for two years before we parted ways."

Ginny shifted through the files of memories she had in her head. When did Malfoy get married? Faintly she recalled reading about some lavish Malfoy wedding before she promptly threw the newspaper into the hearth of the fireplace, providing for some fresh tinder for the weak fire. Ginny had just chalked up his surprisingly early marriage to either another case of a speedy post-war marriage or some silly, old-fashioned pure-blood tradition. It seemed it was a little bit of both when she did the math. Astoria must have gotten pregnant before they married, Ginny surmised, and had a speedy wedding as a result of it. _Interesting._

"Where's Astoria now? And Aurora for that matter?" Ginny asked, hands on her hips.

"Astoria moved to France shortly after our divorce," Draco explained, "and took Aurora with her. She wanted a career in fashion design and I was moving up within the company. And it was best that she stay with her mother at such a young age."

Ginny was more confused than ever. What did she have to do with any of this?

"Look Malfoy, I'm not at your disposal for you to use in order to fix your mistakes, or whatever it is you want me to do," she scoffed. "Go find someone else to clean up your mess."

As if a candle blew out, all of the light in Draco's eyes turned off, leaving them steely grey. He stared at her coldly, his features hardening. Ginny could feel the anger radiating off of him but firmly stood her ground rather than withering away like she wanted to.

"It wasn't a mistake," Draco spoke finally, in an eerily calm manner. But Ginny could tell he was angered by her words. "We may have been too young and it may not have been the right time, but it wasn't a mistake. _My_ _daughter_ was not a mistake."

Ginny turned away, unable to hold his gaze any longer. If she wanted to wither away before, now she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and disappear into it forever. She hadn't realized the impact of her words. How could she have been that cruel? It sounded like something Malfoy himself could have said. How could she sink to his level… or even worse?

Draco slipped the photograph back into his jacket pocket. He gave her another look of contempt and turned to head towards the door.

She knew she couldn't let him go without saying something. She still didn't know what she had to do with this charade, but her Weasley ways would not let him walk out of the door without hearing an apology. She knew from their past at Hogwarts that Draco often exaggerated and lied to weasel into or out of things, so was surprised by his candor. There was a sense of honesty and urgency in his eyes that she had never witnessed before.

"Malfoy, wait!" Ginny called, just as Draco's hand reached the door knob. "I-I'm sorry."

At that, Draco turned around and turned to look at her with an unreadable stare, his emotions clearly in check.

"I-I didn't mean to call your daughter a mistake. That's not what I meant at all," Ginny sighed, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just… I don't understand what _I_ have to do with _your_ daughter."

"It's my reputation," Draco answered after a pause. "It's been… subpar for quite a while. Our businesses are doing wonderful but the actual Malfoy name doesn't carry a respectable weight. However, the Weasley name has soared in status."

Ginny looked at him perplexedly.

Draco sighed. "Must I spell it out for you, Weasley? If my reputation is shot, it's not going to bode well for my daughter. The Slytherins – and others – would probably eat Aurora alive when she gets to Hogwarts. I'm not willing to set up my daughter for years of teasing and torment. I just won't. It's even worse than being feared."

Ginny's eyes softened at his revelation. She remembered the strange looks she got throughout her second year from many of the students, some even from her own house. She was known as that weird girl who let a giant snake loose at school. It took a while for her peers to get over the fact that she had tried to kill her fellow classmates. They couldn't look her in the eyes because all they could think of was the fact that she had been possessed by Tom Riddle. Ginny could relate. It wasn't fair to have an unfair weight on your shoulders when Hogwarts were supposed to be some of the best years of your life.

What was six months of her life, anyway? Half of them would be spent playing and attending matches, many out of the area. It wouldn't be that much of a commitment, she reasoned. After all, she would just be helping a little girl, even if she did happen to be Malfoy's offspring. It wasn't her fault she had a git for a father.

"What about Astoria?" Ginny asked, after weighing out her options.

Some of the light returned to Draco's eyes. "What about her?"

"She's okay with this?"

"Oh, she's fine. She doesn't want Aurora to suffer either."

"You Slytherins solve problems strangely."

"We're just more creative than Gryffindors."

"Also, Aurora, really?" Ginny said with a faint smile.

"Why, what's wrong with it? It's a fine name," Draco's eyes narrowed.

"I suppose it could be worse, like one of those constellations with a million letters," she agreed, walking up to him.

"Well, not all of us can be named... Ginny," he wrinkled his nose.

"There's nothing wrong with Ginny! And if you must know, that's a nickname. My name is technically Ginevra," she pouted, successfully resisting the urge to gag at her old lady name.

"Ginevra," Draco repeated, letting it slowly roll off her tongue. She did not like the way he was saying it. It sounded _good_ in his deep, silky voice.

"Don't call me that," Ginny practically growled.

"Why, Ginevra?" Draco asked innocently coming closer to her.

"Because. Nobody calls me that," she replied, looking up at him to shoot daggers from her eyes.

Unfortunately, Draco didn't seem to notice as a knock pounded against the meeting room doors. Draco lifted the spells and charmed the doors open. The twosome walked into the corridor, where the owners and the leathery woman she despised so much were standing around, chatting. She looked ecstatic that Draco and Ginny hadn't managed to hex each other to bits. The owners merely looked relieved.

Draco placed an arm around her shoulder, leaning in closer to her. She turned to glare at him and looked at the appendage with disgust. A part of her brain couldn't help but notice that he had a nice, strong arm. Ginny surmised she must truly be going insane between somehow agreeing to this charade and thinking tolerant thoughts about Draco Malfoy.

"Ginevra has agreed to the contract!" Draco proclaimed jovially. Leather Lady was beaming while the owners sighed with relief. Ginny rolled her eyes and suddenly realized his arm was still around her shoulder. She wriggled free from his after some difficulty, as Draco tried to keep a grasp on her. This charade was going to be a nightmare.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would really, really appreciate it if you could leave a review on the way out. Totally makes my day and gives me all the warm, fuzzy feels. (:


	3. Chapter 3

_June 19, 2016: Apologies for the super late post! I am still very invested in this story and looking forward to seeing it through! Forgive me for any errors; once again I stared at this chapter for far too long. Enjoy._

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

The next evening, Draco found himself sitting in the private dining room atop of the Malfoy Hotel. One chair was sitting in front of him across from the lit candelabras. He could see down below over Muggle London through the head to toe circular window. Through the hands of the timepiece were obscuring his view, he could still see down below to the glittering buildings, bridges, and automobiles underneath the darkening sky. Soft music was playing through the room, loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough so it wouldn't overpower the conversation.

The Malfoy Hotel had been one of his earliest ventures when he began at the newly re-established Malfoy Company. It was a great source of pride, what with it being his first great success in his now eclectic portfolio. When he had first walked by this building in the desolate alley, it was a crumbling structure with a clock sitting atop it that hadn't worked in years. It looked like it was on its last leg, but each time he walked by it, Draco couldn't help but stare up at it in wonderment. He came up with a proposal and soon started working to restore and upgrade the building into what it was today. The Malfoy Hotel was around the corner from Diagon Alley, in a new, high-class neighborhood that was now known as Scenic Alley. The finest restaurants and boutiques opened up in the area, with his hotel at the center. The hotel had brought new tourism which helped Wizarding Britain recover financially after the war.

On a night like this, the tables would be filled with guests in their finest robes and dresses, chattering while they ate. The Tower restaurant had earned a high reputation, which often resulted in reservations being made weeks in advance. However, tonight it was eerily silent. He had closed the restaurant up for the night in preparation for his meeting. They needed absolute privacy in order to discuss and settle their deal.

Draco absent-mindedly shuffled through the short stack of parchment in his file, which was sitting next to a much thicker file. The first one contained the documents he had printed up in his office earlier that day. The second one contained newspaper and magazine clippings, along with whatever else he could dredge up on such short notice. It was a file on Ginny Weasley. He had initially picked her on a whim, in part of her apparent mutual need and name. But once his idea actually came to fruition, he scrambled to make sure that Ginny checked out.

He drummed his fingers atop the stack, eyeing his expensive platinum watch. The minute hand was slowly making its way to the top, indicating that it was seven o'clock. He hoped Weasley wouldn't be late. He hated dates that were more than fashionably late.

As if on cue, the double doors to the dining room opened, and Weasley walked in. She was wearing a maroon blouse with a black skirt that stopped at her knees and ballet flats. Draco stared at her grimly, noting that this was not the appropriate attire for a dinner date. It was a step up from the Ginny he had met yesterday, slightly sweaty in her Quidditch kit and a messy, loose braid. But without her Quidditch robes to hide her, he noticed what a small woman she was. Her breasts were full, as he could see from the dip in the blouse, and she had sizable hips. Ginny's mane of flaming red hair looked like it was finally tamed into soft waves. She chose minimal makeup, and he could see the thick dusting of sprinkles across the middle of her face as she moved to sit across from him. The dusting was so heavy, spilling out onto her cheekbones, that if they were any closer together she would have a decent tan. Ginny stared at him, raising a thick, groomed eyebrow.

"What?"

"It wouldn't kill you to dress up for a date," Draco said, as a way of greeting.

"This is not a date," Ginny snapped, hanging her purse on the chair and settling in. "This is a business meeting."

A house elf appeared, pouring red wine into their glasses. "Right, right," said Draco, motioning over the house elf. He ordered their appetizers and entrees before letting the house elf disapparate.

"You could have at least asked me what I wanted, you know," Ginny grumbled, before slamming the menu shut just as she had opened it.

"Just trust me," Draco replied, flashing her a winning smile.

Unfortunately, Ginny remained unfazed. "I trust you as far as I can throw you," she muttered, though it was clear enough for Draco to understand as she sipped on her wine.

"What do you want to know that would make you trust me?" Draco asked. "I've already shared with you why I'm doing this – for my company, and more importantly my daughter. Even Mrs. Passano doesn't know the true reasons for this contract."

"I don't know, Malfoy," Ginny sighed, before rambling on. "I just barely know anything about you! We may have been in the same school for nearly six years, but that doesn't mean much! I mean, if I really were your fiancée, I wouldn't even know what gift to get you. What if I needed to pick out a jumper or a tie for you in your favorite color? I don't even know what your bloody favorite color is!"

A cheese plate suddenly appeared, which seemed to interrupt the Weasley's rant. She reached for the knife and comfortingly spread cheese on a toast triangle.

"Blue," responded Draco, before reaching for some cheese and grapes.

"Really?" Ginny asked, mildly surprised. "Not silver or green?"

"Slytherins aren't _that_ predictable," Draco rolled his eyes, though he heard her snort. "And if you really must know, the exact shade would be like the color of the ocean, almost a cerulean."

"That's pretty specific," Ginny snorted, but couldn't quite contain her small smile. _Ha!_ Draco mentally cheered. Maybe he would manage to have her sign the contracts tonight after all.

"What about you?" Draco dared to ask, followed by his wine glass.

"Green," she knowingly smirked.

"Are you sure _you_ aren't the Slytherin?" Draco raised his eyebrows dramatically. "Wouldn't your Gryffindor cronies cry traitor?"

"No," Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I like it because it reminds me of the hills outside the Burrow, laying on the grass on warm days at Hogwarts, and the smell of a freshly cut Quidditch Pitch."

Draco was silenced by her specificity. How could a color conjure up that many memories for one person? They continued to eat in silence, as Draco tried to analyze Ginny Weasley. Even with the investigative file of her whole history, he couldn't quite seem to grasp whom the woman was in front of him. Aside from her well-publicized relationship with Harry Potter, she had only a couple of other relationships – at least according to the papers. Ginny seemed to be very dedicated to the game of Quidditch, and only used her sparse free time for work or charitable related functions. In the close to two conversations they've had, she had been very unpredictable. She was obstinate and blunt, yet somehow emphatic to his situation. Draco only hoped she would agree to the terms she had agreed to yesterday.

"So… You're a Chaser? I would have thought you'd have made a better Seeker," Draco broke the uncomfortable silence.

Ginny looked startled by his assessment and perhaps even a little flattered, judging by the pink faintly blooming on her cheeks. After focusing on his schoolwork and getting his way with his housemates, Draco was devoted to Quidditch at Hogwarts. He remembered how each of the players played on each house team, which came in handy when he was on the field.

"Oh no," replied Ginny defiantly, a mischievous gleam in her honey eyes. "I like bigger balls."

Draco nearly choked on his wine that he had unfortunately decided to consume at the moment. He attempted to recover gracefully, though couldn't help but quirk his lips upwards. This would most definitely be an interesting six months.

The dinner finally arrived at their tables and as Ginny began to enthusiastically dig into it, he figured this would be the right time to get business out of the way.

"Well, now that we know everything there is to know about each other, let's get onto business," Draco began, taking out the small stack of parchment and conjuring a quill.

"You sure don't beat around the bush," Ginny commented with a sigh, setting down her fork.

"I'd rather have time to enjoy dessert," answered Draco honestly. That was his methodology behind his business meetings: small talk during appetizers, discuss the business deal during dinner, and have it finalized it just in time to celebrate over dessert. With Weasley not seeming like she was going to kill him, Draco thought there would be a decent chance they would be enjoying dessert in a short matter of time.

"So, what if I agree to this charade? What are the terms?"

"What do you mean, Weasley?" he asked, confused. He already had the contract printed up earlier in the day in his office. "We've already told you the terms yesterday."

"Yes, I know the legal terms," she replied, waving him off. "None of our assets can be touched, yawn. But what are _your_ terms?"

"What makes you think I have any?"

" _Your_ lot always has something up their sleeves," commented Ginny, pointing her fork at him.

"Fine," Draco rolled his eyes. For once, he didn't really have mal intent when he came up with this scheme. He wanted the next six months to go as smoothly as possible. But Ginny was proving to be a better negotiator than he assumed. No wonder she managed to get lucrative endorsement deals, he thought in admiration. At least he picked someone with a brain.

"Number One: No more calling me Malfoy. You call me Draco. And I'll call you… Ginvera," he began, taking out a spare piece of parchment.

"Why can't I just call you Malfoy?" Ginny wrinkled her nose. "And no one calls me Ginevra except for my batty old Aunt Muriel."

"How's it going to look if my fiancé doesn't even know my first name?" Draco pointed out.

"Like she doesn't give a shit," Ginny muttered, under her breath, though Draco heard. He gave her a look and she huffed.

"Fine," Ginny grit out, "I'll try my best."

"Good," smiled Draco. "Number Two: We have to live together."

Ginny dropped her fork upon hearing this. "NO WAY. There's no way I'm going to LIVE at Malfoy Manor!"

" _I_ don't even live there," Draco rolled his eyes. "I live at this hotel in the penthouse suite."

He could practically see the wheels turning in her head over this condition. "Alright, fine," she said finally. "But separate bedrooms."

"What kind of heathen do you take me for?"

Ginny arched her eyebrows and gave him a pointed look, as if to say _what do you think?_

"Alright, point taken," Draco muttered. "What are your conditions?"

"Mine?"

"I'd rather know up front what else you don't agree with before we sign our lives away for the rest of the year."

She swirled the small amount of liquid in her glass as she pondered over his question. Finally, she looked up at him, "Well, if I had to say one, no physical contact."

Draco was about to object, but she cut him off. "Look, I know we discussed things the other day like holding hands or putting your arm over my shoulder but nothing much beyond that. If we really must kiss, keep it at the minimum, alright?"

"Fine," Draco responded dejectedly. He was put off that she seemed so scared to come into physical contact. He wasn't some slimy old toad. He could provide her a list of references attesting to this very fact. It's not like he was in this for a shag. With a grumble, Draco scribbled down the additional conditions.

"I want to be able to tell my parents." Ginny said hesitantly, as if prepared for his backlash.

"Absolutely not," Draco snapped, setting his quill down.

"Why not?"

"Because it has to be believable," Draco said simply. "How would it look if your parents looked completely fine with you being engaged to a Malfoy? Or your _brothers?_ Everyone would know it was a sham within minutes."

"But you get to tell Astoria!" cried Ginny.

"That's because there is a child involved in this situation that we share. I'm not even telling _my_ parents," Draco admitted.

"Really?" Ginny said in surprise. "They wouldn't agree to this?"

"Let's just say my relationship with my parents is… complicated," Draco answered, unwilling to elaborate. He set to work on transferring their new conditions into the contract with a spell.

Ginny snorted. "You mean Mummy doesn't send you weekly care packages anymore?"

"I'm flattered to know that you paid that much attention to me at school," he replied with a raised eyebrow, as the quill finished its work.

She rolled her eyes but looked slightly flushed before replying. "It was about knowing thy enemy and all that crock."

It was Draco's turn to snort. He knew Potter and his cronies were a paranoid lot, but he hadn't realized it spilled over to their former followers as well. Neatly compiling the parchments, Draco handed it over to Ginny, their hands meeting for the briefest of moments. She took the stack and skimmed through the fine print, before reaching over for the quill. Draco had already signed the papers, and it was simply waiting for Ginny's final signature.

"Ready to sign away your life, Weas- Ginny?" Draco amended, as the dinner plates disappeared and their warm chocolate cake appeared.

"If anyone finds out about this, I'll just say you used the Imperius Curse on me," Ginny said as she signed on the dotted line, and looked up at him with a mischievous glint and a saccharine smile.

Draco gulped.

* * *

Late Sunday morning, Ginny found herself sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow with her parents. The window above the kitchen sink let the sun bathe the room in its warmth. The kitchen was practically spotless, with each pot and pan hanging in its proper place. It was only a matter of a few hours until the kitchen would become a war zone for the upcoming family Sunday dinner. Her mother was going on about how Audrey had shown her a new way to make a pot roast, which cut the cooking time nearly in half. Ginny kept shifting the food on her plate nervously, barely paying attention to what her mother was saying. Her father was sitting with his brow furrowed, meticulously scanning the Sunday edition of _The Daily Prophet._

Normally, Ginny would be digging into the plate of waffles her mother had made her. But then, if this were any other normal Sunday, she wouldn't be having brunch with her parents. She would join the rest of the loud Weasley clan at Sunday dinner. Her eyes fell on the newspaper her father was reading, and the knot in her stomach only grew larger. It made her think back to the contract she had signed only last night.

As per the agreement, there would be many opportunities for the press to capture them in public. They had to, after all, sell their story to the masses. While it would make sense to first announce their relationship on Sunday, when many newspapers ran longer editions, they decided to drop the news unexpectedly on Monday. That way there was less competition, according to Draco, and Ginny wanted to ease her parents into the idea. So, she came up with a feeble excuse of missing Sunday dinner due to a team meeting and bargained with her parents to have brunch instead. This way she could get her parents alone without her many brothers getting in the way and ruining it all. She would deal with them later, she thought, as the knot sitting in the pit of her stomach tightened.

"Didn't Hermione look like she was glowing last week at dinner?"

Hearing her mother's questioning tone snapped her out of her reverie. Ginny whipped her head up to look at her mother with a blank face. "Oh, what? Oh yeah, Mum, she did."

Luckily, Molly didn't seem to notice her daughter's distractedness. Ginny was still figuring out the best possible moment to break the news to her parents about Draco.

"... I mean, wouldn't you want that for yourself one day, Ginny?

"What?"

"A husband. And a family."

Ginny groaned. _Not this again!_ Within the last year or two, her mother had been throwing not so casual hints that she should start taking dating more seriously, to at least consider a serious relationship. She simply didn't want to. Ginny barely had enough time to keep up with her friends and family, let alone free up enough time for a partner. If she happened to come along her future husband, that was fine with her, but she wasn't actively seeking at the moment.

"Mum, seriously? Not this again," Ginny whinged, shoving a large piece of her waffle in her mouth.

"Yes, dear, but you aren't getting any younger. What are you going to do after Quidditch is done with?" Molly pressed gently, with her pleading brown eyes. Ginny looked imploringly at her father, but he was far too engrossed in his newspaper. She inwardly sighed. There was no way out of this stupid conversation.

"I don't know... Coach? Write? Travel the world with the piles of gold I'm racking up? I can do whatever I want to do!" Ginny said, her voice growing louder as the anger rose inside of her.

"Yes, but what fun will that be alone!"

She didn't realize she threw her fork until she heard it clatter against her plate. "For your information, Mother, I am not alone. I am engaged."

Well, that was one way to deliver the news.

The silence was deafening until Molly dramatically gasped. " _YOU WHAT, GINEVRA WEASLEY?!_ "

Her mother turned to look at Arthur who clearly hadn't heard the big news. "Arthur, you put that paper down this instant! Did you just hear what your daughter said!"

"Oh yes, dear, she said she was engaged," Arthur said from behind the newspaper. As if realizing the gravity of his words, Arthur abruptly set the newspaper down.

"You're not still dating that ruddy Raul, are you?" Her father asked gruffly, his reading glasses sitting at the bridge of his nose as her stared squarely at her.

"Oh, no, of course not," Ginny answered, laughing nervously. _It's much worse than that._

While this was happening, her mother had reached across the table and pulled at her left hand. "How, Ginny? Where's the ring? What is going on?"

Ginny wriggled her hand out of her mother's grasp. "He's getting it sized," she lied easily. Ginny had no idea what was happening with the ring, only that she would be wearing one by tomorrow. "Besides, I didn't think it was best to start wearing it in public without at least telling my parents first."

"Who is he?" Arthur asked. She felt uneasy under her father's gaze. Normally, he was pretty easy going about all of his children's friends and partners, but his kindness only extended so far. Arthur wasn't a big fan of her last boyfriend. He was nowhere near the gentleman that Harry was. She rarely brought a boyfriend home, because she wanted to keep her family life and her love life strictly separate. That is, until now.

"I've been seeing him for a few months, and it became very serious," Ginny began, rehearsing the story from memory. "He actually went to Hogwarts. You know his parents, in fact."

"Is it Neville?" Molly cut in.

"No, Mum!" Ginny shut her down in an irritated tone. "Neville's with Hannah!"

"Oh, right."

"It's Draco Malfoy," Ginny whispered, hoping somehow her parents had heard.

"Who?" Her father asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

She willed herself to speak in her normal, confident tone. "It's Draco Malfoy. I'm engaged to Draco Malfoy." Somehow it sounded less ridiculous the more she said it out loud.

"What?!" Molly practically wheezed.

"Well, that's why I wanted to tell you in person! Before it hits all of those gossip rags," Ginny said quickly before her parents could interrupt her. "I just didn't want to say anything to you all unless it was the real deal… and it is."

"Where did you meet?" Arthur asked calmly.

"At a Quidditch Gala. You know, the Malfoy Company invests in so many businesses, and that includes Quidditch equipment," Ginny explained, reciting their concocted story to her father. While she was a pretty good actress when she needed to be, Ginny had never felt so guilty in her life. How could she lie to her parents about one of the biggest milestones in her life? This whole thing was an elaborate sham. What would they think of her in six months time?

"There's one more thing…." Ginny began, before her mother cut her off.

"Ginny, I can't believe it!" shouted Molly. Ginny stared at her mother, who looked aghast beyond belief. "You're pregnant!" She whipped her ginger head to look at her husband. "Arthur, did you hear that? The girl is pregnant!" Molly turned back to stare angrily at her daughter. "Ginvera Molly Weasley! We did not raise you to be like this! How could you have been so careless? I've always taken the time to teach you how to behave properly…"

Her mother kept prattling on that Ginny felt no choice but to take out her wand and point it at her mother. Molly kept talking but no sounds were coming out. She finally closed her mouth, and stared angrily at her daughter, crossing her arms.

"Mum!" Ginny cried. "You're becoming hysterical!" She ended the spell and placed her wand back into its pocket. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but you would never have let me get a word in edge wise."

"So if you're not pregnant, what is it?" Arthur asked his daughter gently. Ginny thanked the spirits above for her ever-patient father.

"Draco has a daughter. Her name is Aurora," Ginny explained. "He's actually already been married and divorced."

"Are you supposed to be the mother to his child?" Molly asked incredulously. "You can barely take care of yourself!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said sarcastically. "And no, she already has a mother. I would just be a stepmother..." Those words sounded so odd coming out of her mouth. What the hell was she getting herself into? There was an innocent child's life she could potentially be ruining.

"His parents are okay with this?" Arthur inquired.

"Oh, yes. I mean, we wouldn't jump into this willy-nilly. We've considered all of the consequences," Ginny continued, feeling a little better that this was at least a half-truth. "After all, we have to consider what's best for Aurora." How could she know what was best for the little girl? Ginny hadn't even met her.

The cuckoo clock squawked once, and Ginny patted herself on the shoulder for telling her parents that this would be a quick brunch.

"Look Mum, Dad," Ginny said, turning to both of her parents, "I just wanted you to hear this all from me. It just happened so fast since I've been in and out of the country with all of my matches and what not."

She rose from the table and took her dirty dishes to the sink. Pushing off from the sink, Ginny returned to the table and braced herself on the back of the chair.

"I know this was big news to drop on you both, but I've really got to get going. I can't be late for this team meeting," Ginny said, gathering her purse and jacket.

"Malfoy needs to come for dinner," Molly said suddenly.

"What?"

"If you're going to marry this boy, I would at least like to meet him before the big day," Molly demanded. "For all I know, you two may go run off and elope."

"Mum, you will soon enough. Draco is so busy with meetings and I'm going to be leaving soon anyway once the season starts…" Ginny rambled, trying to find a way to get out of this. She had hoped that they would be able to avoid their families during the duration of the contract. It would be much easier that way.

"Gin, it's only the right thing to do," added Arthur in his contrasting, composed voice.

"Fine," resigned Ginny sullenly. "I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise anything."

Before anyone else could get a word in edge wise, Ginny walked over to her parents, giving them each a quick hug and kiss before disapparating to her quiet, peaceful flat.

* * *

 **A/N:** I do hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will forewarn you, updates will likely be far apart over the summer. I am in a wedding at the end of the season, and there are a bunch of different functions leading up to it! I do plan to get some writing in though. Anyway, thank you for all of your lovely reviews! They make my week and keep me going when I feel unconfident in my writing. I do hope you leave one on your way out – I respond to all of them!


	4. Chapter 4

_**December 10, 2016:**_ Honestly, what can I say? I did say my summer was going to be busy, and then the next couple of months flew by with social things, too! I've also had major writer's block. I'm really trying to get back into the groove of setting time aside to write because I love all of the ideas I've come up for this story and I want to bring them to life! :)

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

The next morning, Ginny sat in her half empty flat on a particularly heavy box. It housed many of the books she had come to collect in the few years she had lived in Notting Hill. After finishing school, Ginny quickly moved out of the Burrow and settled into a quaint flat with Luna. While it was one of the smaller flats in the posh area, they were both more than excited to call it home. They loved the little cafes in the neighborhood where they would get coffee and breakfast in the morning.

The living arrangement worked out perfectly between the two of them. With Luna being a magizoologist and Ginny a professional Quidditch player, neither of them were home that often. It was a perfect compromise since neither of them felt lonely for too long.

A knock rapped on her door, and brought Ginny back to reality, away from her trip down memory lane. She opened the door and saw Malfoy, standing there in his predictably expensive suit with his immaculately styled hair.

"Who wears a suit to help someone move?" Ginny asked, before moving aside to let Draco in.

"Someone who's posing for the camera," Draco replied, as he strolled in and gave a cursory glance at her flat.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she studied him anxiously, wondering what he thought of her home. Draco Malfoy likely had seen the best of the best in his life, and she suddenly felt self-conscious about her humble abode.

"I must admit, I was rather surprised to learn that you lived in this area, of all places," Draco said, walking up to the mantle and examining the odd insect artifacts that were proudly on display by Luna.

"Of course, because a Weasley couldn't possibly afford to live in a neighborhood like this, right?" Ginny snapped, folding her arms defensively. "Just admit you think this place is beneath you and let's move on with this."

Draco raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Someone's a little tetchy, aren't they? Did I say anything negative about your home?"

"….No," Ginny reluctantly admitted.

"Learn to relax, Ginevra," Draco said as he turned to lean against the mantle.

"Didn't I tell you to not use that name unless you have some kind of death wish?" Ginny grumbled, folding her arms.

"I do not recall, Ginevra," he smirked but dropped it when Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Look, those stuffy high society broads eat up these old timey names."

"They must love Draco," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing," Ginny smiled sweetly.

"Look, let's just get a move on, the photographers will be here any minute," Draco said, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

Oh right. Those damn photographers. Today was going to be the day that they would be making their debut, so to speak. Melinda had ringed every single publication in Wizarding Britain with the scoop. She didn't like this artificial image they were going to sell to the media, but it was too late to back out now.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny looked at him strangely.

"I'm helping you move out," Draco answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, but I've already shipped off most of my boxes through the Floo," Ginny replied. "What else do you need to do?"

"Must I spell it out for you?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes. Without asking where to go, he started heading towards the joint office that Ginny shared with Luna.

"We've got to make it look like I'm the devoted fiancée, so I must carry a box out, down the stairs, and out in front of the paparazzi," he called over his shoulder. "Now let's get this room all boxed up. It can't take that long…."

She followed him into the room just as he trailed off. Draco stared up in awe at the shelves behind the desks. Last year, Luna had decided on a whim to proudly display all of Ginny's trophies that had been tucked away in a box, deep in cleaning cupboard. Luckily, Ginny had talked her into moving the collection into the office rather than having them all over their kitchen counter.

He had no idea that Ginny was such an accomplished athlete in such a short amount of time. Draco knew she was always a pretty good athlete, and he could see it from the way that she moved, but it still came as a shock.

"…Are these all yours?" Draco asked, turning back around and pointing behind him.

"Obviously, they all have my name written on them," Ginny said, though she had a smug smile on her face.

"Well, what are you standing around for, Weasley? Let's get these things into boxes," Draco commanded abruptly. He had come this close to giving her some type of compliment. It felt practically sacrilegious. Though, he probably should make an effort to be nice to his temporary fiancée. Wordlessly, Ginny handed him a box and he began levitating the trophies into the boxes.

Draco would ask her once in a while what one of her awards and she had to launch into detail with the story behind the accolade. He managed to learn a few things about her this way. She may have beaten and set world records with her flying and scores, but some of her most prized awards were the ones that recognized her sportsmanship and professionalism.

Just as Ginny was beginning to explain one of the last few trophies to him, Draco noticed where the hand was pointing on the clock. Ginny was lounging in an office chair with her feet propped up on the desk. He was sitting on the box that was now filled with remnants of platinum and gold.

"Damnit, Weasley," Draco yelped, suddenly jumping from his seating spot. "Why didn't you tell me it was almost noon?"

"How was I supposed to know? You've been asking me about this competition and that award all morning!" Ginny huffed, though she rose from her seat as well. She walked back into the lounge room and began to maneuver the remaining boxes – with the exception of the trophy box – towards the fireplace before yelling out the coordinates for Malfoy's flat.

Draco cast a spell on the box, making it weightless so it would be easier to carry. He put his jacket atop the box and waited for Ginny to make her last rounds. She sighed as she looked at the flat before her. They had many fun memories here, from girls' nights in and out, dinner parties, break ups, their own arguments, and countless other adventures. It felt like she was moving out far too prematurely and not of her own volition.

Ginny determinedly took one last customary glance before determinedly looking at the door. There was no use in getting upset. Once the six months were up, she knew Luna would be more than happy to open the doors back to her. She charmed the curtains shut and extinguished the Floo.

She could feel the butterflies beginning to flutter in her stomach. This was the big moment – their debut. Ginny had been mentally preparing herself for a few days now, but now that it was finally in front of her, she wasn't sure if she was ready. But then she supposed, she would never be truly ready for something like this. Determinedly, she shook her head and placed her hand on the doorknob.

"Wait a minute, Weasley."

"Beginning to get cold feet, Malfoy?" Ginny teased, though in a weaker voice than she intended. She turned around to see the box and jacket on the ground, forgotten, and Draco fishing a little box out of his pocket.

A ring box.

Before she realized what was happening, Draco Malfoy was kneeling down before her, holding up an opened ring box as an offering. The ring was simply stunning. The brilliant round stone was flanked by a pear shaped diamond on each side as they rested on the platinum band. They may have signed a contract, but this suddenly felt very real.

"I never go back on my word, Ginny," Draco smirked up at her. He gently reached for her left hand and slid the ring on her finger. His hands were warm and tender around hers. She didn't know what she was expecting, seeing as how he wasn't green and scaly. Ginny's eyes were fixated on the ring as she angled her hand in different directions, watching in awe as the light brilliantly hit the piece of jewelry. She knew Draco said he would get her a ring, but she hadn't expected it to be this beautiful, and undoubtedly expensive.

"Let's get a move on, Ginny," Draco cut in, now standing up with box and jacket in place again, "We have an audience waiting for us. Besides, you'll have the next six months to stare at that thing."

 _Right._ The contract. For a moment, she had forgotten that this was a business arrangement.

Absent-mindedly patting down non-existent creases from her jeans, Ginny braced herself as Draco opened the door. He made way for her to walk through first, and placed a hand at the small of her back, as she led them down the stairs. Before she could take anything in, she heard the sounds of bulbs going off and flashes practically blinding her.

Ginny had never seen this amount of press before, especially not at her house. Occasionally, a bored photographer would capture a quick snap of her as she went out for a jog around the neighborhood or as she brought groceries home. But, this was on a completely different level. Photographers and journalists – some that she recognized – were practically stepping over each other in an effort to get the best photo and headline. She was suddenly thankful she had taken care to do her hair, put a little makeup on, and wear a nice blouse.

"GINNY! GINNY! OVER HERE!"

 _FLASH._

"MR. MALFOY, CARE TO ELABORATE ON THE RUMORS?"

"MISS WEASLEY, WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DRACO MALFOY?"

 _FLASH. FLASH._

Suddenly it felt like her face was growing hot and slowly beginning to catch fire. Her hands felt clammy. Ginny froze in place, overwhelmed by the commotion in front of her. Her breaths were becoming more rapid and she could feel her heart beating frantically inside. The gravity of what she had agreed to was suddenly hitting her like a crashing wave.

Somehow in her panic attack, Draco caught her hand. She felt a gentle squeeze, and looked up at him, wide-eyed and in confusion. He looked down at her with his ever cool, calm grey eyes. And now he was leaning down, his lips moving closer and closer to her face.

Ginny panicked. Was he seriously about to kiss her right now?! They hadn't even finished walking down the damn steps yet! She figured it would happen (unfortunately) at some point to keep up the charade, but this was far too soon. She tried to wriggle free of his grasp, but Draco's gentle hold became firm, holding her in place.

"Weasley," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "You're not the only one freaking out. For better or for worse, we're in this together."

Somehow, that comforted her. To know that she wasn't completely alone in all of this. Even with all of their strategizing and planning, this was still new territory for Draco as well, one that they would both be navigating together.

"But do remember to show the ring."

Ginny sighed in frustration. He just had to go and ruin the moment, didn't he? Draco Malfoy may be somewhat tolerable, but he was still here for her his personal gain. Just like all of the Slytherins she knew.

"GINNY! GINNY!" One journalist shouted to right as they started to go down the steps to the pathway. "Can you elaborate more on… all of this?"

She sighed, reluctantly. "Maybe." She felt an exasperated nudge from the other side of her.

"Are you doing this as some sort of revenge tactic against Harry Potter? Sleeping with his old school rival?"

Ginny practically growled at the man she was scowling so loud. How dare this moronic man think that she would sink so low as to seek revenge on an ex-boyfriend?! And he wasn't even her most recent ex-boyfriend! They'd been broken up for years, but somehow still; their names would inevitably find each other in the papers every several months.

She exhaled deeply; preventing the incredible urge to flip the camera off with the hand sporting the rock she needed to show off. She made the move to give the cameraman a piece of her mind, but instead, Draco looped her arm in his, ensuring that the hand with the ring was given ample exposure. He gave her a knowing smirk and patted her hand.

Suddenly, the paparazzi went into overdrive. There were so many flashes that Ginny couldn't even tell when one ended and one began. Draco began to pull her towards the path, and eventually Ginny followed, hesitant to move away from the mesmerizing explosions around her.

Eager to get out of the chaos, the pair quickly made it down the steps and made their way down the street. Ginny then noticed several large men clearing the way, thus obstructing the photographers' views. _Bodyguards,_ she surmised. She saw the street turning, and heaved a sigh of reliefs. They were almost down the block where the apparition point was in sight. They were almost done.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Draco murmured down to her quietly.

Ginny scoffed in response as they positioned themselves to Apparate.

* * *

Their feet touched down on ornate carpet that lined the whole corridor. The entrance to the lift stood behind them while a set of white French doors stood in front of them. Draco fished in around in his trouser pocket and retrieved his wand, touching the tip of it with the lock, and she heard the gears shifting.

Like the gentleman he was raised to be, Draco held open the door, motioning for her to walk through.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Weasley."

"Don't you mean _our_ humble abode?" Ginny replied. But when she looked around the room, all of her snark died at her lips.

Humble abode was not a phrase she would use to describe Draco's flat. Several Burrows could fit in his penthouse flat. Ginny used to think her own place was swanky, but it paled in comparison to this. It felt bright and airy with the walls painted in white, the white marble counter tops and the light sofas. She turned to see the ceiling to floor windows paneled across in the living room. Though it was neutral with the flat set in whites, greys, and neutrals, somehow it felt comfortable.

"…And whenever you get settled in, we'll take your wand downstairs to add the unlocking charm," said Draco, whom Ginny now realized was talking the whole time, pointing out things as they walked in and towards a corridor.

They stopped at the second door on the left, right across from a small library. Leading the way, Draco opened the door for Ginny.

"This will be your room," Draco explained, setting down the box he had been carrying around on an empty desk. The walls were painted light grey, with pops of coral and navy finishings. The bed was so large, she was sure three of her could comfortably sleep in it. Near the wardrobe, she saw the rest of her boxes and trunks settled there, waiting to be unpacked. She was happy to see a reading nook nestled into the window looking out to the city.

"Thanks," Ginny replied sincerely. "I really appreciate it. I have one question though – won't people find it weird we're sleeping in separate bedrooms?"

She noticed him stiffen slightly but his expression was unreadable. "Look, the house elves and staff won't say anything. What happens here stays here. Besides, I don't have many visitors coming in and out since I'm barely ever home."

Rising up from the desk he was leaning on, Draco stood up and headed to the door. "The bathroom is right over there," he pointed out, signaling to the door across from the bed, "I'll leave you to get settled in."

The door quietly clicked shut as he left her to her devices.

Draco passed the next couple of hours sitting on the sofa with a book. He had taken the rest of the day off for today, what with the impending media circus and to make sure Ginny was settling in. Only now, he felt restless. She hadn't come out of the room since he had taken her there, and he didn't want to bother her. This was one of the strangest predicaments he had been in. A former adversary was now living with him. A woman he barely knew had suddenly become a part of his life overnight. He wasn't sure how the next few months would go between them.

A throat clearing snapped him out of his reverie. Draco looked up from his book to see Ginny standing there awkwardly. He simply raised an inquiring eyebrow in response.

"Well, since I'm pretty much done unpacking, I was going to head over to Flourish and Blotts to pick up a birthday present," said Ginny. She seemed much more quiet and subdued. Draco assumed she felt as weird as he did about their new arrangement.

He snapped the book shut and got up from the sofa, putting on the suit jacket he had draped across the sofa.

"Oh… You don't need to come with me, Mal-, I mean, Draco."

"Isn't that what couples do?" Draco stated with a wry smile. "Besides, I have the day off and I would rather get out of the house." That much was the truth. It had only been an afternoon and Draco was growing stir crazy. He didn't like not being productive and having idle time. It was also a good opportunity to spend some quality time together. In that short time they had spent packing up her belonging, he gained valuable insight into the life of Ginny Weasley.

Ginny stared at him and then shrugged and pulled out her wand to Apparate. "Suit yourself."

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Draco and Ginny popped into Diagon Alley. There were some people walking down and along the streets, but it was nowhere the bustling alley that Draco was accustomed to wading through. It was a sunny day out, though fortunately it was pleasant. A mother and her son were enjoying an enormous sundae, packed with multiple flavors and sauces, at Florean Fortescue's. He could hear the owls hooting in the distance.

They began to make their way down the cobblestoned path when Draco noticed a figure following them out of the corner of his eye. He turned slightly to get a better view. It was one of the photographers that had shown up earlier that day at Ginny's when they were moving her out. Of course it was the one that had been taunting her about Harry Potter.

Draco inwardly groaned. _Right._ He forgot that with the two of them – well, being the two of them – there were bound to be photographers and reporters lurking in the peripheral. He reached down and grabbed Ginny's hand. Her head shot up to look at him quizzically.

He leaned down, as if to whisper something in her ear. "Photographer behind us. Act like a couple."

Ginny looked over his shoulder and he saw the look of recognition cast across her face. She turned back at him and he saw her eyes softened and she looked more relaxed, completely hanging her demeanor. It was almost as if they were sharing an intimate moment to outsiders. It sent Draco shivers down his spine. She really was quite good at acting when she wanted to be.

Hand in hand, they made their way into the bookstore. He looked down to see their hands intertwined together. Her small, feminine hand looked like it had always belonged in his. For the second time that day, he marveled at how soft and gentle her clasp felt, though she had fading blisters from Quidditch games. The ring he had placed on her finger several hours ago was gleaming proudly in all of its glory.

The summer rush of Hogwarts students hunting for the schoolbooks hadn't begun yet, so the shop was half as full as it usually was. As they weaved in and out of the winding bookshelves, Draco couldn't help but notice the curious and narrowing stares being cast in their direction. Ginny seemed to be ignoring them successfully, so Draco resisted the urge to shoot back venomous glares and scowls. What was their problem? Had they never seen a couple walk into a bookshop before?

Draco saw an old woman cast a judgmental look at them and he instinctually put his arm around Ginny's shoulder. It was then that Draco realized how small Ginny was. She was short and petite but fit so well under his arm. It both bafflingly pleased him and made him uneasy.

"What would you get for someone who likes to draw, is a coffee enthusiast, and abhors physical activity?" Ginny asked, as they both stood in the aisle side by side, glancing at the looming bookshelf in front of them.

"Who is this for?"

"My sister-in-law, Audrey."

 _Audrey… Audrey…._ Draco thought to himself. He hoped it look like he was thinking of the perfect gift for this woman, but instead he was trying to recall the Weasley family tree he had drawn up in order to remember it. That family had increased exponentially in the last few years and it was difficult to track who was married to whom.

"She's married to Percy," Ginny added for further reference.

"Right," Draco recalled, the bookish one that everyone would get annoyed with because he was so obnoxious about it. "What about an art book for their coffee table? It's a safe option," he supplied, his grey eyes looking down at her.

"Oh!" Ginny grinned. "That's a perfect idea! She's just getting into photography too. Why didn't I think of that myself?"

Draco hated to admit it, but he could feel himself swell with pride at her praise and her beaming smile. Why did he even care? She was just barely a friend. Before he could continue to ruminate on this, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to the photography section.

Just as they were about to turn the corner, voices were floating over. He heard their names mingled in with unintelligible words, but their tone didn't sound pleasant. Not at all. Draco could feel the ire rising inside of him. He had had enough with the disapproving stares that had been following them all along the store. He was ready to give whoever it was on the other side a piece of his mind.

Just as he moved to walk ahead, Ginny put her arm out and stopped him. Placing a finger in front of her lips, she motioned for him to stay quiet. She moved to just the edge of the shelf and pressed herself flush against it to get a closer look as to what was on the other side, without revealing herself. Draco followed suit, careening his neck over her head to get a better look.

"Why are we even here?" A female voice groaned.

"I told you, I saw Weasley and Malfoy sneak off in here," The man replied in irritation. "I was tracking them down Diagon Alley."

"It's that damn photographer again," Ginny muttered to Draco. She sounded just as mad as he felt.

"So, what do we even care? We got our story earlier today," The woman replied. "I already have my article written up."

"That spectacle today, you mean?" The man laughed hollowly. "I've taken enough pictures in my time. I can read body language. It doesn't come up 2 and 2, if you know what I mean."

"You think they're faking it?" The woman asked, incredulously.

"It's been done before," replied the photographer. "If we get the scoop before everyone else, we're going to be golden through the rest of the year."

"I suppose that's true," the reporter responded. "I really don't get what she sees in Malfoy, anyway. He may have money and looks, but he seems dumb as a bag of rocks…"

The woman continued to prattle on, but Draco never quite heard her as Ginny dragged him away from the conversation. He was about to open his mouth to persuade her to stay so they could hear what else would be said, but the hard set fiery look in her amber eyes quickly shut him down. Ginny looked determined, only he didn't know what she was about to do.

On their stomp to the cash register, somehow Ginny had grabbed a book along the way. Draco looked over his shoulder and noticed the reporters not so stealthily following them. They didn't even care about being discreet anymore. Ginny slammed some coins on the counter and rushed them both out of the store before the cashier could utter a word. Draco waved at him apologetically and made a mental note to send him the appropriate amount of change.

They were finally outside, and moved to stand outside of the store against the window display. The reporter and the photographer trickled out a few moments later, and Draco could see the giant camera ready in the man's hand, itching to snap their photo.

"Look, Ginny, why don't we just-"

Before he could finish his thought, Ginny had cut him off. With her lips. The book she had just purchased had fallen from her arm as she stood on her tiptoes to reach Draco. Her hands came to rest at the sides of his face to give her a better angle. At first Draco stiffened on impact, but eased into it. He hadn't anticipated kissing her so soon (or hopefully, ever) but here they were. Her arm slipped down to encircle him, her hand resting at the nape of his neck, with her gentle fingers lightly brushing up against the hair. How did she know that that was one of his sensitive spots? Draco pulled her closer to him to deepen the kiss, his long arms snaking around her.

Ginny broke it off far too early for his liking, but he was panting for breath when she slowly pulled apart. The camera was flashing around him repeatedly and he could faintly hear the woman firing off questions at them. She looked up at him through her thick, dark lashes with a surprising shyness, though he could see her eyes had darkened. Shooting him a mischievous smile, Ginny turned to glare at the photographer.

"How's that for body language?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know I took forever to post, so I am thankful for all of those who have stuck by and have been waiting. I really appreciate all of your reviews and favorites, so I hope you leave a review on the way out – they leave me smiling for the rest of the day. :)


	5. Chapter 5

_**August 26, 2017:**_ _Yeah, it's been WAY too long. Real life makes things hard sometimes. But I'm back! And hopefully not take another year to write another chapter (Please, God, no). Please forgive me in advance for errors, I just wanted to get this update out in the world!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

Ginny exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat off her brow. She brushed aside the matted hair against her forehead while she slowly descended to the ground. As soon as she felt her feet touch the ground, Ginny hopped off the broom and hit the ground running. It was then that she noticed her fellow teammates huddled together, whispering quietly. _That_ was never a good sign, she thought as she made her way over to them. Normally, it was everyone was clamoring to get their two knuts in and it was hard to get them to shut up.

The sun had been up for several hours, though it was just barely nine in the morning. Gazing up the several clouds floating lazily by, Ginny was thankful for the partly cloudy day. It was still early in their training camp, but the days were long and tiring in the summer. Setting her broom aside with the others', Ginny reached for her green and gold duffle bag to grab her water bottle. Halfway through guzzling it down, it was then that she realized a few of her teammates were looking _at her._ And snickering.

Placing the bottle back down, Ginny haphazardly wiped her mouth and looked at them questioningly, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Silva Foster, in a tone that obviously meant it was something. Foster was a Beater on the team, and while she could count on her having her back in a match, Ginny suddenly felt a little distrusting of her.

"No, really, what is it?" Ginny asked, now getting annoyed. She walked closer over to the throng of women and pushed her way into the crowd. They were all looking at a newspaper, and judging by the look of it, it was that morning's _Daily Prophet._ The Chaser's stomach flipped uncomfortably inside. Agnes Spinks, who was holding the paper, folded it back, and there Ginny saw herself and Draco kissing right in front of her eyes.

Gods, she had been doing her best to forget about that moment of insanity and act like it never happened. Two days had gone by and thankfully she hadn't really needed to interact with Draco. Ginny left long before the sun was even up thanks to Quidditch Training Camp, and was often in bed by the time Draco came home. _Maybe the next six months wouldn't be so bad,_ she thought to herself, so long as they never saw each other again to discuss what had transpired.

Ginny dared to glance back at the photograph. Their limbs were intertwined and her lips were on his. She tilted her head slightly to examine it. To any bystander looking in, they had happened upon a randy couple snogging. Draco's arm was pulling her closer in and Ginny really looked like she was gripping Draco closer to keep herself steady. They had done a damn good job fooling those stupid paparazzi. Maybe a little too good for her own liking.

She hated to admit it, but Draco Malfoy was a good kisser. Though he was a little awkward at first - and who could blame him, she only accosted him with her mouth - he eased it into it pretty quickly. His lips were soft and welcoming, and his arms around her were comforting and strong. Ginny was glad her brained turned back on at some point, or she wasn't too sure she would have pulled away so soon.

"Now we know why Weasley's been doing so well in training," Asma Knutsen snickered, her brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

Ginny's head whipped to her left, her messy red plait wrapping around her with the motion. "What's that supposed to mean?," she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, c'mon Gin," Silva ushered, walking over to put her arm over Asma's shoulder.

"You're obviously going to have to spell it out for me," Ginny shot back, getting irritated with everyone's knowing looks. She was rarely the butt of the joke and loathed this feeling.

Asma waggled her eyebrows and winked, "I told you a good shag would do the trick for your game. All that pent up sexual frustration and what not."

Ginny could feel her face betraying her as her cheeks burned while the rest of the women giggled. She bit her cheek in an effort to control herself from stomping her foot on the freshly cut Pitch. She knew she could get upset easily, but her temper was not _that_ bad… right?

"I am _NOT_ sexually frustrated!" Ginny shouted back, "I'm just regularly frustrated by your guys' comments! Now are we going to get back to work or what?"

Okay, so perhaps it was a little worse than she thought. Ginny made a mental note to add that to The List of Things She Needed To Work On.

Agnes smiled knowingly. "Look, it's okay, it's not a big deal. We've all had those dry spells and it feels great to be back in top form."

"My 'top form' as you want to call it has nothing to do with Draco!" Ginny cried. "I've been practicing.. A LOT."

This was true. Ginny knew she had things to work on and off the field. Her Weasley temper occasionally got the worst of her during a match, which had cost them easy points. Gwenog had pulled her aside at the end of the season to point this out. The arrangement with Draco only served to reinforce that. Even if she was the star Chaser of the team and known for her dramatic plays, she needed to learn when to reel it in. That's what she was displaying to her teammates during practice, not that she was satisfied from a good shag. _If only they knew how far from the truth that was,_ Ginny thought to herself bitterly.

"Okay, enough piling on Weasley," proclaimed Irene Sheringham, the Keeper of their team. "They're all just bitter you caught a whale, Ginny."

Ginny shot Irene a grateful smile. She knew the team just enjoyed taking the mickey out of her, but it still struck a nerve inside. She knew she had a temper and an aggressive playing style, but it couldn't be that bad… could it?

"Fine," Agnes relented. "But before we get back up there Weasley you better show us that rock on your finger that you've been trying to hide from us."

Ah, something else they could harp about instead of her moment of insanity. Ginny fulfilled her teammate's request and put forward her left hand and the women quickly gathered around, moving her hand to catch the stunning ring in the perfect light. At first, she hadn't dared fly around with it for fear of losing it, but she sheepishly remembered that morning that she could simply charm it from slipping off.

* * *

Draco had read the same line four times before he threw the contract onto his desk in frustration. He hated bringing any personal matters to work. He prided himself on being able to separate his business and personal life, and now that it was spilling into his work life, Draco did not like it one bit. It made him feel weak.

He thought back to the board meeting earlier this morning. Draco found himself zoning out and scribbling mindless doodles on his parchment - something he hadn't done since his Hogwarts days. When he was called on to present his weekly updates, Draco's head shot up abruptly, looking at the rest of his colleagues blankly. It only took him a couple of seconds to pull himself together and deliver his report, but the looks of confusion and judgmental expressions casted upon him felt like they lasted an eternity.

Draco groaned in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. This just wouldn't do. He had just been promoted to the Head of Sports and Entertainment a couple of months ago and had a lot riding on it. Though many of business peers may have accepted him again after the war (mostly due to the limitless Malfoy fortune), there were still many fences to mend. Not all of his superiors or subordinates trusted him. He wanted to present a strong and focused trust, in order for his employees and other board members to trust and, ultimately, respect him. However, if the looks in the board meeting and the strange glances people had been sending his way throughout the day were to go by, it seemed to indicate that Draco's mission was failing miserably.

"It's all Weasley's fault," Draco grumbled to no one, out loud.

It had been a few days since The Kiss and Draco's mind kept wandering back to that incident. His mind was still trying to work out what happened that afternoon in Diagon Alley. After Ginny had made such a big deal about no physical contact (which was insult honestly, he wasn't some slimy toad), she decided to snog him in the extremely crowded, and extremely public street! In front of the paparazzi, no less.

She may have done it just to put those nosy paparazzi in their place, but if he was honest with himself, Draco wasn't complaining. Though Ginny was ultimately chosen for her Weasley name and connections, he couldn't deny that she was attractive. She was the exact opposite of the type of woman he usually dated, brash and petite instead of than a tall, aristocratic waif - yet somehow, more fascinating. Ginny was objectively a good kisser, but her boldness and spontaneity is what really intrigued him. It was confusing, but it was exciting.

The sound of his door bursting open snapped Draco out of his reverie. He looked up in irritation to find Theodore Nott walking up to him. Draco suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. They may have been childhood friends and classmates, but the fellow Slytherin didn't seem to understand work formalities. Theo ignored work protocols and just barged in whenever he pleased.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Theo?" Draco greeted with a sigh, looking up at his tall friend. Theodore wasn't as rabbity as he used to be like he used to be at Hogwarts, though he still retained that tall, thin build. He finally got his wiry brown hair under control by parting it neatly to the side, suggesting a sense of professionalism, but the twinkle in his dark brown eyes adorned by horn rimmed glasses suggested anything but.

"You realize as my secretary you can just speak to me through the intercom system."

Theo just shook his head and scoffed. "Oh please, Malfoy, like you extend the same courtesy to me."

"Must I remind you again, that at work, I am your boss? I don't need to extend any courtesy to you," Draco replied, this time not bothering to suppress an eye roll. He stood up and walked around the desk, joining Theo, and crossed his arms.

"I take it you haven't had a chance to look at _The Daily Prophet_ yet?" Theo asked.

"No, I've been busy catching up on all of this paperwork," Draco gestured to the stack of parchments and scrolls adorning his desk, "from when I was out of the office. Why, what's so important?"

"It's all everyone's been talking about today. Flip to page C4." Theo practically shoved the newspaper he was holding into Draco's hands. The blond bristled a bit at this, raising an eyebrow, but straightened the paper and opened it to the noted section. And as if him thinking about The Kiss wasn't enough, it was now replaying over and over in front of him in the form of a photograph. It was at this point where the wheels in Draco's brain began turning and things started to make sense. Throwing the newspaper on top of his pile of work, he turned back to Theo.

"So… everyone in the office has been talking about this?" Draco inquired carefully.

"Yes, they haven't been able to shut up about it," Theo replied. "I'm still a little miffed you didn't tell me, one of your oldest and closest mates about Weasley, but I think Mimi in Accounting is more upset than I am. She was practically in tears this morning when I went into the break room and then-"

Draco was still connecting the dots. "Everyone was giving me strange looks because of this article? And not because I practically made an arse out of myself in the meeting this morning?"

"Oh, most definitely," Theo nodded. "I doubt anyone really paid attention to what you were saying. I was having a hard time taking notes, what with everyone whispering."

"Oh, thank Salazar," Draco sighed in relief. As long as he wasn't losing clout at work, he could deal with this obstacle in front of him.

But then something occurred to him.

"Oh shit," Draco swore in frustration.

"What?" Theo looked at him quizzically.

"I still haven't had a chance to explain all of this," Draco indicated by pointing at the newspaper, "to Aurora."

Theo snorted and took that as his cue to exit, heading to the door. "Well, you should've thought about that before you snogged Weasley in Diagon Alley, of all places."

* * *

It may have been close to one in the morning, but Ginny simply couldn't fall asleep. She had tried everything - running through Quidditch statistics, counting sheep, and in desperation, she had picked up the trashy romance novel on her nightstand. Right as she turned the page to the sixth chapter, her stomach growled. She sighed as she eyed the clock, telling her she only had four hours until she needed to get up for practice.

With resignation, Ginny threw on her faded, frayed pink robe and made her way to the kitchen, quietly padding her way throughout the common space, sans slippers but in knee high socks. The glow of her wand guided her through the dark towards the kitchen, and as quietly as she could, she opened the freezer door. Ginny was suddenly craving something sweet, and she knew it would continue to nag her as she tried to sleep. She grinned as she found a carton of ice cream and quickly summoned a utensil, shoving her spoon into the chilled mountain of ice cream.

"Mmmm," Ginny moaned in delight. She hadn't had Toffee Apple in years, and it made her think back to the days when she was forced to join her brothers during their Hogwarts back to school shopping. What they didn't know was that afterwards, Molly would treat Ginny out to ice cream for being patient. It was one of those rare times Ginny got to spend special one-on-one time with her mother.

Placing the carton on the table, Ginny moved to close the chilly freezer when another carton fell on her foot, making her hiss in pain. Just as she moved to shut the door, Ginny heard a certain someone clear his throat.

Ginny winced, partially from the throbbing pain in her left foot, but mostly from embarrassment as she turned to face Draco. Even in the dead of night he looked put together in his luxuriously warm night robe and fancy night slippers. The only indication of him sleeping was his tousled silvery-blond hair. Draco stood there with his arms crossed, brow quirked, and looking very serious.

She knew she looked like a right mess compared to him. Ginny had thrown back her unruly mane into a braid, which had only gotten messy from tossing and turning throughout the night. Her robe was not just frayed, but it looked like an animal had torn it apart. That is exactly what happened when she found Pigwidgeon nibbling away at her robe one morning. She had thought to put on socks at least, though the rich green Harpies socks clashed with her oversized, neon orange Cannons jersey that she wore as a nightie.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You know, that ice cream isn't just for you," Draco drawled. "Do you drink out of the carton too?"

"No," lied Ginny. She made a mental note to make that milk carton from this morning's breakfast disappear.

"What are you doing up so late, Weasley?" he asked as he made his way to the cabinet. Draco grabbed a glass and filled it with water using his wand.

"I could ask you the same," she replied.

"I woke up because I thought someone was breaking and entering," Draco said pointedly, "I was half right since you stole my favorite pint of ice cream." Using her spoon that was wedged into the dessert, Draco scooped himself a spoonful to eat.

Ginny was caught off-guard by his action. It seemed a little too intimate to be sharing utensils and food - especially after a week. She bizarrely wondered if realized what his actions could mean, especially since they hadn't really spoken since she kissed him outside Flourish and Blotts. Somehow they managed to avoid each other outside of awkward greetings and farewells, thanks to their busy schedules. And yet, here they were standing in the kitchen in the middle of the night, and Ginny couldn't help but focus on his lips closing around the spoon.

Maybe her teammates were onto something, maybe she was sexually frustrated.

"Looks like we have something in common, after all," Ginny observed, breaking her gaze to make eye contact with him. She reached over for the ice cream, but Draco snatched it off the counter, moving around the island to sit on a stool. Ginny grumbled but reluctantly followed, but instead hoisted herself onto the island to get better access to her beloved Toffy Apple.

"You didn't answer my question," Draco noted, as they continued to share the spoon. It didn't look like the ice cream would make it through the night, Ginny thought.

"I was having a hard time falling asleep," Ginny explained after another mouthful. "This week has been eventful, to say the least."

She sensed Draco tense next to her in the dim lighting, somehow growing quieter, if that was possible. It took Ginny a moment to realize what she had said. He must have been thinking about their photograph that was in _The Daily Prophet_ for everyone to see.

Ginny let out a deep breath. They had had a moment of normalcy - whatever that was to them - in a week of awkward encounters. She refused to go back to that, especially since they still had almost six months left. She looked down and saw Draco concentrating very carefully at the ice cream before him. It seemed it was up to her to try to bridge the gap.

"So…" Ginny began, with a little difficulty. "I take it you've seen the photo in the _Prophet?"_

"That I have," Draco replied, void of emotion.

"Then I can assume that it's been just as weird for you as it has been for me?" Ginny asked, catching his silver eyes with her copper.

"About as much."

Draco was so calm and relaxed a few minutes ago, how was it possible for him to close off so quickly? She resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"Look, can we agree to just put it past us? It was incredibly stupid on my part and I shouldn't have done it," said Ginny, mustering up her courage to extend her hand out to him. "Obviously my incapability of good decision making is what landed me in this mess."

It took a few moments, but Draco eventually accepted her hand with his.

"Great," Ginny breathed with a sigh of relief. "I guess I should be getting to bed now."

"That paper has been out for a few days now, there must be something else on your mind," Draco implored, much to her astonishment. "If we're going to put That Incident behind us, we have to kind of, sort of try to be friends."

Touché, Malfoy, touché.

"It was also hard getting to bed after having dinner with my family tonight."

"Oh right, your weekly Weasley gathering," Draco nodded. Again, Ginny was caught off guard, shocked that he remembered this random fact about her.

Draco seemed to have sensed her surprise. "Look, if we're pretend engaged, I should remember what's happening in your life."

"I… guess so…" Ginny reluctantly agreed. And from there, she decided to recount her evening as they continued to devour the ice cream. She had meant to arrive at the Burrow first, so she could meet each brother one at a time, rather than all of them ganging up on her. Instead, her practice ended up running a little late, and by the time she had Apparated into the backyard, the whole family was already sitting around the long tables her father had magically charmed to extend.

Her parents greeted her as if nothing was wrong, as she settled into her seat between Charlie and Bill. As the food was passed around from her mother's end of the table, Charlie and Bill started questioning her about her relationship with Draco. Or rather, it was an interrogation. Where did they meet? Why didn't she tell anyone? How long had they been dating? When was Malfoy coming to the Burrow? Fleur eventually casted a Silencing Charm on the two of them, and Ginny was extremely grateful for the sister in law that she once hated. As they headed into dessert, George made a few disparaging jokes about Draco but thankfully left it at that, while Percy decided to discuss the latest article in Wizarding Forbes.

Everything was going as smoothly as it could be until they were having after dinner drinks. The kids were playing in the yard, illuminated by fairy lights, teasing the garden gnomes. As Ginny sipped her wine, Ron made his way over. He had been far too quiet for her liking all evening. Harry at some point, spoke to her briefly about her engagement. Though he was thoroughly confused, he seemed to accept her relationship. Hermione shot Ginny a sympathetic smile, and seemed to do her best in keeping Ron busy in conversation with others.

Each time Ron opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out. Ginny was taken aback. His face would redden, but he couldn't seem to formulate his thoughts. Of all brothers, she thought that Ron would have the most to say, and likely in the rudest way possible. Had something actually rendered Ron Weasley speechless?

"...Needless to say, my family's reaction wasn't exactly joyful," Ginny finished. "And then, to top it all off, this arrived five minutes after I came home."

Ginny summoned the parchment and handed it to Draco. He quickly scanned through its contents and raised his eyebrows.

"Your family wants _me_ over for dinner?"

"My parents," Ginny amended. "They figured it would be best if it was just them when you first come over. Especially after my brothers' lukewarm reaction… Plus, I think Ron might turn purple from shock."

"Like that's a bad thing," Draco muttered, though it was loud it enough for Ginny to hear. She stifled a chuckle. "Fine, let's get it over with then."

"Really?" Ginny asked with a mixture of surprise and relief. She finally felt herself relaxing after becoming riddled with anxiety from her father's quickly scrawled note. She didn't think Draco would give in so easily, and was relieved that he would sacrifice an evening for her.

"We have to make this as believable as possible," he responded simply.

"Right.. The deal…" Ginny remembered, trying not to sound disappointed. Of course. It was for that contract, and nothing else. This benefited him as much as her.

"Well, I better get to bed. What with practice in three hours and what not," she said, jumping off of the island. She slightly stumbled and Draco moved to help her, but Ginny quickly stabilized herself. Her right calf ached like it always did, and she bent down to massage the lingering pain.

"What happened there?" Draco asked, seeming like he couldn't help himself. "I mean, I've noticed you've walked around with a brace around it."

"Oh," Ginny began awkwardly, "it acts up sometimes after a rough day."

"Everything okay?" For a second, Ginny swore there was a flicker of concern across his usually collected face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Oh yeah," she brushed it off, though supported herself on the island to relieve her leg of pressure. "It's an old injury. I broke my leg once when I was nine."

"What the hell? How?"

"Early one morning, I snuck out and took one of my brothers' broomsticks out into the orchard behind our house and attempted a Wronski feint. Thankfully, I didn't break my whole body. I told Mum I fell climbing one of the apple trees."

Draco looked at her in disbelief, his grey eyes growing wide. "Ginevra Weasley, you are absolutely mental."

"Well it got me where I am today," Ginny defended.

"Yes, in my home, fake engaged to me," he smirked.

They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter, reflecting on the ridiculousness of their lives.

* * *

Draco was no longer laughing at the ridiculousness of his life as he stood on the front steps of the Burrow. It was all well and good agreeing to dinner when it was in the abstract, but now that it had materialized in front of him, he wasn't so sure he could go through with it. Generations of Malfoys detested and maligned the Weasleys, and now here was at their door, ready to impress Arthur and Molly Weasley. Remembering his own daughter and her smiles of delight made him want to succeed at this. And remembering the reaction of the Weasley brothers made him want to prove them wrong.

He felt a squeeze around his hand as her hand slipped into hers, the engagement ring catching the setting sun's light. Draco looked down and saw Ginny smiling up at him, as if to say, "here goes nothing". He may have been a lone snake heading into the lion's' den, but at least he had one person on his side. He gave her an understanding nod, and Ginny reached up to knock on the door.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ I know… After all this wait, this chapter should've been longer, but I'm (obviously) a little rusty. I also really wanted to finally get something up! I do hope you enjoyed it and am extremely grateful that all of you have clicked that 'follow' button have waited so graciously for the latest update. Life has been busy and stressful, and I'm still trying to balance real world responsibilities with my hobbies. :D Anyway, I do hope you could leave a review on your way out! And in between updates, you can always catch me on Tumblr (notallmalfoys)!


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